The Headmaster's Office Conversation; the Sorting Hat's Hidden History (Two-in-One Special)

The story of the Sorting Hat and Phineas was over a hundred years old. I hadn't expected the Sorting Hat to hold such a grudge.

But back to the point: Dumbledore had been keeping a close eye on Ezio. He'd looked into him a little, but hadn't been able to dig very deep. As a Master Assassin, Giovanni was among the best when it came to hiding things. He and Ezio had been so ordinary in the outside world that no one would give them a second glance. Even Dumbledore, who could move mountains in the Wizarding World, had hit a wall in this matter.

Still, Dumbledore could guess what line of work Ezio and his father had been in. That was precisely why he'd paid Ezio so much attention.

"How have you found Hogwarts so far? Is there anything here you're pleased with?" Dumbledore started the conversation, though his purpose wasn't clear yet.

"Most things here have pleased me, especially the meals. I'm truly sick of fish and chips and sandwiches. British food is awful. Fortunately, before I came to school, I mostly ate French cuisine. London has more Michelin-starred French restaurants than anywhere else in the world."

"Would you like me to lend you a few membership cards? I could recommend some excellent restaurants, and I'll pay." Young Master Ezio wasn't short of money. The balance in the accounts Giovanni had left him had eight zeroes at the end. He'd never be able to spend it all.

"Thank you very much, but I think I'll only have time to try them during the holidays." Dumbledore looked a little regretful. "The last time I tasted it was in Paris. It wasn't at one of the Michelin-starred restaurants you mentioned, but Nicolas knew how to enjoy life. His House-elf was just like him, having lived for six centuries. I can guarantee there isn't another chef in the world who could surpass him at French cuisine."

"Nicolas Flamel?" Ezio knew the name well. He was passionate about Alchemy too, but unfortunately, it was such an advanced branch of magic that even the basics required considerable magical ability and an in-depth study of Runes. The bar for entry was high. In that month and a half, Ezio had already pushed himself to the limit by devouring so much of the school's Charms and Potions textbooks. He hadn't had time to put many of the things he'd learned into practice.

"Alchemy is a fascinating subject, but unfortunately, I'm not qualified to begin studying it yet. The Wizarding World may have stopped advancing these days, but the wisdom accumulated over thousands of years still takes a lifetime to study."

Ezio sighed. Magic really was too captivating.

"That's true. You could spend your entire life studying magic and still find it difficult to say, 'I've mastered it completely.' Even Nicolas modestly says that he's only had more time than others to accumulate knowledge. Even after creating the Philosopher's Stone, he never believed he'd touched the ultimate limits of magic."

"If he had, that would be terrifying." Ezio shook his head. "The future and the unknown—that's the most beautiful view of all. If one day we suddenly saw that the road ahead had reached its end, I think that would be the beginning of despair."

"So I'll devote my limited energy to a limited number of things. I'll only study what interests me, or what I believe I need to learn."

"Would you mind if I started skipping classes in my first year, Professor?"

Ezio winked at Dumbledore. "There are some subjects I'm not interested in, like Astronomy and History."

"But those are a necessary part of learning about magic. I'm afraid I must refuse your request." Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. "However, if you can guarantee that you'll get at least a passing grade on your end-of-term exams, I think the professors might accept you studying on your own."

As a former Gryffindor, Dumbledore naturally had a rebellious streak. "But how you convince your professors is up to you."

"Perhaps I could apply to take my exams early?" Ezio shrugged. It was a clumsy solution, but the most direct and effective one.

"Professors are always a little more lenient with clever, polite students." Dumbledore looked Ezio in the eye, then spoke softly. "Honestly, it's remarkable for someone your age to be able to restrain himself and make rational choices. People always want more, whether it's knowledge, time, or something else."

"Because greed and acting on emotion are absolutely forbidden to me," Ezio said slowly. "I imagine you're curious about what I did before, Professor."

"I'm an assassin—a killer. It's a high-risk profession that demands rigorous training. My reflexes were being honed from the time I could barely talk, and mastering my skills took years. From the moment I walked into Giovanni's home, I had one foot on a tightrope. But I don't regret it. In fact, I enjoyed it."

"Life needs adventure, or it has no meaning. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, life is always most vivid in those moments that make our hearts race." Dumbledore nodded. Ezio's introduction was just what he'd expected, and he wasn't surprised.

"I've already entered this dangerous line of work, and I'll keep walking the tightrope in the future. Learning magic has given me a safety line, but magic isn't omnipotent."

Ezio spoke slowly. He had probably guessed why Dumbledore had steered the conversation this way. Dumbledore had deliberately guided it in this direction when they'd mentioned Nicolas Flamel.

Dumbledore still didn't trust him. If anything, he'd grown more wary. As soon as Ezio noticed the subtle change, he knew he had to do something.

At present, he relied heavily on Hogwarts: first, for his safety; second, for its knowledge and resources; and third, because it could help him gather information and investigate Giovanni's death. His goals had always been clear.

"One day, I'm destined to die on the path of my own adventures. It might be tomorrow, next year, or some day in the future."

"For an assassin, death has never been something to fear. The moment I decided to take another person's life, I made peace with the possibility of dying anywhere. And, Professor, don't you think living for too long can be a kind of torture?"

"People come into this world in a daze, and most die in one too. But I refuse to accept that kind of ending. All I can do is die with my eyes open, on the path I've pursued my entire life. Giovanni died on the road toward the dream he'd spent his life pursuing. Perhaps, before he died, he really did touch the dream he'd longed for."

"Have you decided what you'll pursue in the future?" Dumbledore asked softly, his voice calm and gentle.

"Nothing is true; everything is permitted." Ezio quietly recited the Assassin's Creed. "I want to see as much of the real world as I can—the world as I see it—and act on my principles, carry out my will."

"I've rented this world until the day I die. Until that day comes, I'm the only protagonist. Life ought to be spectacular."

"You were worried I might become another Voldemort, weren't you?" Ezio looked into the blue eyes behind Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles. "But I have no interest in that kind of boring, half-alive existence. To me, the immortality he seeks is a joke. I'm an assassin, aren't I? I'm quite interested in killing him. If someone's willing to pay me for it, I'll be even happier."

"I know Voldemort might not be dead."

Ezio opened his pouch, pulled on a pair of Dragonhide Gloves, then took a sinister-looking book from a separate pocket.

"I bought it at Borgin and Burkes. Voldemort's pursuit of immortality isn't a secret. I learned his real name from a retired Auror and looked into his past. Tom Riddle once worked at Borgin's shop, and this book describes Horcruxes, a way to achieve immortality." (Quite a few people knew Voldemort's real name. He'd already started recruiting Death Eaters while he was at Hogwarts, and their name had been settled by the time Snape was a student.)

"I'm guessing he used them: he killed someone to split his soul and create a Horcrux. It's a wicked method, but it suits him, doesn't it?"

Dumbledore stared intently at Ezio. After a moment, his gaze dropped to the book on the desk.

"Your guess is correct," Dumbledore said gravely. "Perhaps I shouldn't treat you like a child. You observe the world with remarkable sharpness and attention to detail."

"That's an assassin's instinct. I have to stay alert if I don't want to fall off the tightrope. From the moment I learned about Harry, I never believed a baby in swaddling clothes could have defeated a Dark Lord who struck terror into everyone. Magic is a force of will, but it isn't omnipotent. At the height of his power, the Dark Lord would have outmatched infant Harry even in a simple contest of magical strength. His defeat must have involved some unknown secret, as well as an accident he never saw coming."

"Harry is one of his Horcruxes, isn't he? There's something very unusual about Harry."

"So you used a fake Killing Curse on the train." Dumbledore knew all about what had happened there.

"I made a hypothesis, drew a conclusion, and tested it. Then I found out it was true. Once I realized Harry was unusual, I was sure he was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes."

"So you got close to Harry and had him choose Slytherin." Dumbledore frowned slightly.

"Yes, I won't deny it. Meeting Harry on the train was an accident, but the way things turned out was quite convenient, wasn't it?" Ezio spread his hands and admitted it frankly. Even if he denied it, Dumbledore would still come to the same conclusion. "But Harry chose Slytherin. I didn't force him to decide. I only told him one thing: the death of one's parents must be avenged."

"Harry can help me a great deal, because there are many people willing to help him and show him kindness. I have nothing in the Wizarding World, so I'll seize every opportunity that can help me achieve my goals. After all, Professor Dumbledore, you don't intend to help me, do you?"

"I believe Professor Snape has already explained what happened back then, but you've been wary of me from the start. I understand, so I won't insist. I can only use my own methods to do what I need to do. From the beginning, you wanted me to let go of my hatred and embrace something warmer. But I choose to say no. The only thing in my dictionary is blood for blood."

"Someone took the life of the family member I cherished most. He may have had no regrets about it, and he may have died for a worthy cause, but I can't accept that he left in such a hurry, without saying goodbye."

"So sorting him into Slytherin was the right decision," the Sorting Hat drawled from the side. "Compared to Slytherin, he's a kind and good child, Dumbledore."

As an old hat that had existed since Hogwarts was founded, the sentient hat knew far too much. It could be loud and excitable at times, but there was no denying how much it had seen and heard.

"If it had been Slytherin..." the Sorting Hat mused. "He probably would have killed everyone—or everything—that might have been capable of doing it. Just like when he slaughtered dozens of Goblin settlements to find the scepter he'd lost. Though he wasn't wrong to do it. The Goblins believed the scepter belonged to them, not to the descendants of the wizard who'd bought it. Goblins are shameless thieves."

"What a good child. He doesn't go around massacring people. How merciful of him. I think he has the potential for it, though."

"I think the ideas Slytherin put into your hat are a little too dangerous," Dumbledore said darkly, glancing at the Sorting Hat.

"Dangerous?" the Sorting Hat asked, puzzled. "Gryffindor went along too. He said they should see who could kill more. He loved all sorts of competitions. Then Slytherin used a potion to unleash a massive Goblin plague, and hundreds of thousands of Goblins disappeared overnight. Gryffindor lost again. What did you think started the first Goblin Rebellion? It was the Goblins' revenge on the wizards after the Four Founders left."

Dumbledore was speechless. As a proper Gryffindor, he really hadn't known Gryffindor had been so wild back then.

"Ravenclaw's Diadem was one of the Goblins' peace offerings after that massacre. Gryffindor gave it to Ravenclaw, saying it would ease her headaches. It worked quite well."

Ezio and Dumbledore looked at each other. The old hat's story was certainly unexpected, but not impossible to accept.

"Class is about to end," Ezio said, glancing at the clock in the office. "I should go talk to Professor Snape now. Would you like to come along, Professor Dumbledore?"

"No, but if you have time, Ezio, you're welcome to come chat with an old man like me."

"About Voldemort?"

"Perhaps other things as well."